New QPR transfer update could leave Man Utd & Arsenal jealous | OneFootball

QPR could make Man United and Arsenal jealous if they strike a transfer deal for a market opportunity this summer...

It's a shame for a club like Queens Park Rangers who have now spent more than a decade trying to find their way back to facing teams like Arsenal and Man United in the Premier League.

That said, the path has rarely looked more open than it does now. The Hoops have endured their fair share of false dawns since relegation in 2015, with managerial changes and recruitment missteps preventing them from establishing themselves as genuine promotion contenders.

In the last 11 seasons, QPR have finished in the top half three times and their best campaign is ninth. However, with an exciting young squad — especially in attacking areas — there is fresh optimism heading into the new campaign. On top of that, the expansion of the Championship play-offs has created two additional routes into the end-of-season lottery.

It means clubs that may previously have fallen short now have a realistic opportunity to compete for promotion. For a club of QPR's stature, that presents a chance to finally build momentum and move closer to ending their lengthy exile from the top flight. If they are to take advantage, though, recruitment will be crucial.

Man United and Arsenal previously wanted Sam Tickle

One area that inarguably requires immediate attention is between the posts. Goalkeeping proved to be a serious concern throughout the 2025/26 campaign, and strengthening that position could provide the platform required for a sustained push towards the upper reaches of the table.

That is why reports linking QPR with Wigan Athletic goalkeeper Sam Tickle should be viewed as particularly encouraging. Per Alan Nixon's Patreon post, he could be worth as little as £1.5 million as well, with Football League World later exclusively revealing that the Hoops are indeed in the race for the highly-rated shot-stopper amid new competition from Championship rivals Bristol City.

Still only 24 years old after recently celebrating his birthday, Tickle already possesses a level of experience and composure that belies his age.

This could be a bargain, as he has established himself as one of the most highly-rated goalkeepers outside the Championship and has consistently impressed despite playing for a side operating in the middle part of League One for many seasons now. Tickle has played all 138 games in the last three seasons in the third tier as well.

But perhaps most significantly, he appears to have plenty of room for further development. Goalkeepers often reach their peak much later than outfield players, meaning Tickle could have a half-decade or more of improvement ahead of him. From QPR's perspective, that combination of current ability and long-term potential makes him an extremely attractive target.

The interest in Tickle is also notable because QPR are far from the only club to have recognised his talent. The young stopper has previously been linked with some of English football's biggest names, including Manchester United and Arsenal (TEAMtalk). While those links never materialised into a move, they underline the regard in which he is held within the game.

The right goalkeeper could be transformational to QPR in 2026/27

Even being known as one of the best young English goalkeepers outside of the Premier League, those previous links are what make this potential transfer so intriguing. Should QPR manage to secure his signature, they would be landing a player who has already attracted attention from clubs operating at a far higher level.

Also, even if he has not kicked on quite as quickly as some had perhaps foreseen, Tickle could quickly be established as one of the best goalkeepers in the Championship. In many respects, it would feel like a coup for a Championship side to land someone with that degree of potential, if not with the ability to go even further than that.

Of course, no transfer is guaranteed to succeed. Tickle would still need to adapt to the increased demands and scrutiny that come with playing for a club expected to challenge higher up the division. Yet the foundations are clearly there in a QPR brimming with young talent already, with eighth or higher in their sights.

For QPR, this feels like the type of ambitious signing that could help transform a promising summer into a genuinely exciting one. If they can beat rivals to Tickle's signature, there may even be a few people at Man United and Arsenal wondering whether they have missed a seriously good market opportunity back in 2024.